Today, security is a vitally important concern. It is well known that with the proliferation of computers and computer networks into all aspects of business and daily life, the concern over user and device security only continues to grow. Using passwords is a common method of providing security. Password protection and/or combination type locks are employed for computer network security, automatic teller machines, telephone banking, telephone answering services, houses, website access, and safes. These systems generally require the knowledge of an entry code that has been selected by a user or has been preset.
Today, each time a user is prompted to enter his password, the password is always identical to the one previously entered by the user unless the user has modified his password during a previous session. As such, many password systems are easily accessed through a simple trial and error process.
To make the system more difficult to break, the network system may be organized in such a way that regularly all the employees are prompted to change their password, or are required to run a specific routine to change their password. Often, the system allows the users to combine a non-determined number of letters, either small or capital, and digits in their passwords. During the time period lasting between two successive modifications of a password, the password remains unchanged. A competent person may find out the password of a user and access the protected resource.